5 Tips for Stellar Team Motivation

When you’re in charge of managing a group of people within a company, you need to make sure they stay motivated to get done what’s important. You won’t be able to accomplish everything on your own, so you need a team you can rely upon to complete what they’re assigned to do. No matter how great your team is, even the people who are the best at their jobs sometimes feel unmotivated and find it hard to focus on the task at hand. Here are some tips to motivate your team when it appears they’re losing focus and productivity levels are dropping.

Regularly ask for feedback

One of the best ways to increase and maintain employee satisfaction is by asking for feedback from your team. Strive toward being an open and approachable manager and soon your employees will feel comfortable talking to you about any issues or suggestions. You might even want to consider creating an anonymous survey employees can fill out; you know you’re getting honest thoughts and they won’t feel too intimidated to offer suggestions. Be sure you actually listen and consider their feedback and then accommodate reasonable suggestions.

Create a stimulating work environment

People want to feel challenged and like they’re doing something worthwhile. If your team’s actual work isn’t that engaging, attempt to make up for this lack by creating a stimulating work environment. Make sure the office has some natural light, coffee and tea are available, and employees have opportunities to interact with one another. In addition to the office itself, consider providing self-care opportunities for employees that allow them to create a better work-life balance. If feasible, offer work from home days or do monthly catered lunches.

Offer professional development

Professional development is vital to career success and a great way for people to feel more satisfied with their work. Consider offering a stipend to cover new classes for employees or find times to show webinars that employees can attend. Advertise networking events and other resources employees can take advantage of to further and develop their skills.

Stay goal oriented

Sometimes, it can be easy to lose sight of your end goal or simply direct your employees on what they need to do immediately instead of taking time to relay how it affects a long term vision. When you share the company’s goal with employees, it helps them identify what they’re working toward and stay motivated to achieve that end result. Sharing your goal gives your team a sense of purpose and makes it easier to get work done.

Recognize stellar employees

Few things motivate employees more than feeling that their work is noticed and appreciated. Make an effort to acknowledge when an employee does great work, such as handling a client well, completing a difficult project, or making a big sale. Select an employee of the month and offer a gift card, small bonus, or even a simple plaque. It doesn’t take much to recognize a great team member and it can do wonders for your team’s motivation and work ethic.